I never wanted to become an actor: Neha Saxena

Fans are an integral part of an actor’s life and Neha Saxena says this is what motivates her to better herself at her job everyday.
“The most interesting aspect of being an actor is that you get so much of love, adulation, appreciation and attention. That is food for your soul. This gives you the motivation to work even harder and to entertain your audience,” she says.
Reminiscing about how she got into this profession, Neha says that she had no plans to become an actor. However, her first show was enough to make her take up this profession. “I was offered a show when I had no plans to take up acting as a profession. I decided to try it out and that made me realize that this is where I want to be,” she says.
Although she was offered her first show without her trying for it, she had to audition for the next one. Talking about the experience, she shares, “Fortunately, I was offered my first show so I didn’t have to go through the audition process. But after that show, when I was going for my first audition, I didn’t have any idea about how it goes. I remember I called up my friend Damini Joshi and asked her about the whole audition process. I could go for the audition only when she explained everything to me. I remember, I felt really nervous.”
However, living away from home was the hardest thing that she had to do. “I can never forget the day when I shifted to Mumbai for my job. My mom came to drop me off at the airport and right before that day, she burnt her face while making dahi wadas for me. I told her not to come but she didn’t listen and came with me. I walked ahead towards departure and when I turned back, I saw her crying. Leaving her alone there was the hardest thing ever,” she says.
Her mother has been a single parent and Neha says that her support has been vital in her career. “My mom has been a single parent and she has always been supportive of my dreams. When I discussed with her about getting into acting, she was definitely apprehensive but wasn’t against it,” she says.
Despite being in the industry for a while, she says that she hasn’t changed much. “I am same more or less, it just that I always used to be in my shell and would not step out for any social event. I was quite an introvert. That has changed now,” she says.